THE FIGHTING COCKS, ST. ALBANS—­THE OLDEST INN IN ENGLAND 178
  (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)

BACON’S MONUMENT 183
  (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)

RUINS OF BACON’S HOUSE 184
  (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)

ST. ALBAN’S SHRINE 192
  (From a Photograph by the Graphotone Co., Enfield)

STEVENAGE CHURCH 204
  (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)

WALTHAM CROSS 214

MAP OF HERTFORDSHIRE 233

INTRODUCTION

I. SITUATION, EXTENT AND BOUNDARIES

Hertfordshire, or Herts, is a county in the S.E. of England.  On the S. it is bounded by Middlesex; on the S.W. by Buckinghamshire; on the N.W. by Bedfordshire; on the N. by Cambridgeshire; on the E. by Essex.  Its extreme measurement from due E. to W., say from Little Hyde Hall to Puttenham, is about 38 miles; from N. to S., from Mobb’s Hole at the top of Ashwell Common to a point just S. of Totteridge Green, about 30 miles; but a longer line, 36 miles in length, may be drawn from Mobb’s Hole to Troy Farm in the S.W.  Its boundaries are very irregular; the neighbourhood of Long Marston is almost surrounded by Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, that of Hinxworth by Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, and that of Barnet by Middlesex.  Its extreme points are:—­

    N. Lat. 52 deg. 5’ (N.)
    E. Long. 0 deg. 13’ (E.)
    W. Long. 0 deg. 45’ (W.)
    S. Lat. 51 deg. 36’ (N.)

Its area is 404,523 acres or 632 square miles.  It is one of the smallest counties in England, the still smaller counties being Rutland, Middlesex, Huntingdon, Bedford and Monmouth.  Hertfordshire is one of the six home counties.

[Illustration:  LEAFLESS BEECHES IN NOVEMBER, ASHRIDGE WOODS]

II.  PHYSICAL FEATURES

Hertfordshire, being an inland county, is naturally devoid of many charms to be found in those counties which have a sea-coast.  But it has beauties of its own, being particularly varied and undulating.  Its scenery is pleasantly diversified by many woods, which however are mostly of but small extent, by swelling cornfields, and by several small and winding streams.  There is much rich loam in the many little valley-bottoms traversed by these streams, and other loams of inferior quality are found in abundance on the higher levels of the arable districts.  The soil in many parts, owing to the preponderance of chalk, is specially